Former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer had good reason to be upset with former coach Mike Shanahan.

After helping the Broncos to a 7-4 record in 2006, Plummer was benched by Shanahan and replaced by rookie quarterback Jay Cutler. Denver went on to finish the year with a 9-7 record and failed to make the playoffs.

Plummer was understandably frustrated and let his thoughts about Shanahan known publicly a few years later.

“I thought it was past due,” Jake told the Denver Post after Shanahan was fired in 2009. “I think he had done what he could do and was just tapped out as far as his coaching style wasn’t motivating guys anymore.”

For years, Plummer held a grudge against Shanahan. It wasn’t until just a few weeks ago that the former quarterback and coach met up in person to talk about it.

“I talked to him on the phone, but I needed to see him in person,” Plummer said in an interview with Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (subscription required for link). “To do that was really good. Grudges only cause you stress and take years off your life. It was therapeutic, for sure. I hope it helped him, too.”

Plummer has moved on and he told Graham that he encourages fans to do the same.

“I meet fans all the time who are still mad about that decision. I get on them and say, ‘If I’ve gotten over it, then you have a problem to still be stuck on it.’ Grudges aren’t worth holding.”

Plummer retired from the NFL in 2007. He went 40–18 as Denver’s starter, which marked the franchise’s best win percentage (.722) until Peyton Manning arrived and went 50-15 (.789) in four seasons.

Like this article?

Sign up for the Broncos Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning

Success

Thanks for signing up.
You'll be waking up a little more awesome tomorrow.